29 September 2026
Fears held by the Spanish club FC Barcelona became a painful reality when their Brazilian star, Raphinha, experienced muscle discomfort while playing for his national team against Australia in a friendly match this Tuesday.
Raphinha left the pitch at the start of the second half in Brisbane, Australia—a worrying blow for the Catalan club, which had dreaded the possibility of its star player suffering an injury during the current international break.
According to the Brazilian network Globo, Raphinha felt slight discomfort in his right thigh during the match, prompting the "Samba Dancers'" head coach—Italian manager Carlo Ancelotti—to substitute him with Endrick at the beginning of the second half.
The Brazilian winger had finished the first half—which ended in a 2–2 draw—on a high note, scoring his team's equalizer from a penalty kick in the 45th minute.
This injury comes at a critical time for Barcelona, particularly as Raphinha’s physical condition had already been a source of concern within the club prior to the international break. The Spanish newspaper Marca had previously reported that the club was monitoring his situation closely this season, given both his exceptional form and his grueling schedule with the Brazilian national team—which involved travel between Australia and India, resulting in long hours of transit and significant physical fatigue.
No definitive diagnosis regarding the nature of the injury or the expected duration of his absence has been issued yet; the Brazilian newspaper Globo described the issue as merely slight discomfort in his right thigh. This comes as Raphinha enjoys an exceptional start to the season, having scored 14 goals in his first eight matches for Barcelona across all competitions—establishing himself as one of the team's standout and most influential players.
